The Ambassador Bridge company is conducting an archaeological dig around its potential new span.
Company spokesman Stan Korosec says the dig, in partnership with Walpole Island First Nation, should be done by next season at the latest and could cost up to $2-million.
Dr. Dean Jacobs, a consulting manager with Walpole Island, believes this site under the bridge at Riverside Dr. W and Indian Rd. is the most significant in Ontario and the work will recover many historical artifacts.
"It's going to be thousands and thousands of artifacts and it's going to take time to put all that story together," says Jacobs.
Jacobs says the artifacts are expected to date back 10,000 years and they're trying to determine if they will go into a repository, a cultural centre, or a museum.
Jacobs says Walpole Island is working on a government deal that includes compensation because Canada still does not have First Nation consent to build a new span on that Walpole Island property.
Korosec says they have Canadian and U.S. permits to build the new bridge but the U.S. wants to maintain the old bridge while Canada says to demolish it.
He says the new plaza construction will begin as soon as that issue is resolved.
Jacobs says Walpole Island wants public input on where the historical artifacts end up.
"Work on not just exhibits and displays but who knows, it might be a cultural centre or some sort of institution," he says.
Jacobs says the dig will be very important to history and prove land ownership.
"It's going to support that we were here as part of the Huron Church reserve and it'll support our claim to half of the Detroit River that we are still property owners in this area," Jacobs says.
